Mechanical Engineering Placement Student Review

by British Sugar

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

3.7/5
  • The Role
    4.3
  • The Company
    4.1
  • The Culture
    2.3

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • I have very much enjoyed my time at British Sugar and it has given me a real insight into what it is like to work in industry. I have met some great people who I have really emjoyed working with and I have had lots of great opportunities.

    5/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • I fitted into the company very quickly despite my concerns about working in such a male-dominated environment. I have constantly been told how much my work is appreciated by managers on all levels as well as the technicians.

    5/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • My supervisor has been very supportive of me and is always willing to help me and give advice. I have also been given a great deal of support by other managers in the department, the technicians and the operators who are always very happy to help me.

    4/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • I am always being given new tasks to complete as well as longer term projects to work on. As soon as I finish what I have to complete I can always ask for more work or help the technicians around site if I have some spare time.

    4/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • I was given a great deal of responsibility and certainly a lot more than I expected. Whenever my supervisor is away I am tasked with managing th engineering team which includes scheduling jobs, attending department meetings and supervising contractors.

    5/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • What I have learnt at British Sugar will be of great value to me in future. Before starting work there I had no idea what it was like to work in a factory environment and had no industrial experience at all. I now feel much better prepared for when I finish university and start graduate jobs.

    5/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • Everyone in the office was very willing to help each other and were always very positive towards me. It is a medium sized office with around 12 people but when management meetings were taking place or the managers were out on the plant I was sometimes by myself in the office.

    4/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • The placement scheme at British Sugar has been running for many years so it is well established and structured. I was the first placement student in my position so I didn't have a handover period (which the other placement students had) but it was still well planned.

    5/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • I went on quite a few training courses whilst at British Sugar including Behavioural Based Safety, Explosion Awareness and Risk Assessment training. Also at the beginning of the year all placement students went on a 3 day lean sigma course on project management.

    4/5

  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
  • Subsidised Canteen

    Company Car

    Subsidised/Company Gym

    Company Parties/Events

    4/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • The managers within my department have mentioned to me on many occasions that they would like me to return to British Sugar once I have finished my university degree and they have arranged for my placement contract to be extended.

    5/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • I have been living with the three other placement students who work on the same site which has been great. We have specialist days with students from other sites as well and socialise with them outside of work as well.

    3/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • The area is very cheap to live in which has been good from financial perspective. However, the factory I worked in was quite far from any towns so commuting costs were high and I had to have my own car in order to get to and from work.

    3/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • The night life around the area is not great and the best nights out have been when we have visited placement students from other British Sugar sites who live in larger towns such as Norwich. However, the nights out have been fairly cheap which is good.

    3/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • There were very few opportunites for socialising that were organised within work other than the Christmas party and the End of Campaign party. I think there may be some factory sports teams but I was not involved in them.

    1/5

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Details

Placement (10 Months+)

Consumer Products/FMCG, Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Purchasing and Supply

East of England

June 2013


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